Sealing discharge-passages of centrifugalizing-machines and the like.



S. H. HALL. SEALING DISQHQAEGE PASSAGBS OF-GENTBIFUGALIZING MACHINES AND THE LIKE. APPLIUATION FILED MARIN, 1913.

1, 1 00, 8-72, Patented June 23, 1914.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SELDEN H. HALL. OF POUGHKEEPSIE. NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK. N. Y. A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEALING DISCHARGE-PASSAGES OF CENTRIFUGALIZING-MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented June 23, 1911.

Application filed March 26. 1913. Serial No. 756.835.

To all zc/wm it may (om-era tie it known that l. man-Ls ll. HALL, a citizen of the lnited States, residing at loughkeqisie, county of l)utehess, State of New York, and whose post-htliee address is (/o De Laval Separator C mpany. loughkeepsie, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sealing l iseharge-lassages of entrifugalizing-Machines and the like: and I do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear. and exact. description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same.

In nearly all forms of continuous centrifugalizing machines, the, treated lluid is either discharged over a ring in a thin sheet or escapes through a hole in a small st ream; and in either case, it soon breaks into a line spray which flies through the air until it strikes the wall of the receiving vessel. In many cases. this passage through the air in a tinely divided state is very deleterious. \Yith some materials volatile parts are evaporated. with others there is considerable oxidation: and with others there is au entrainment of air which makes a froth or foam that causes a serious inconvenience, if not a absolute loss, in subsequent operations. This is particularly so with centrifugal separators and claritiers for milk. which. with the ordinary de'signs of dist'l!ttI'; "l5"tltl(l receiving apparatus. naturally forms a t'roth that causes much trouble in bottling machines and in some forms of pasteurizingapparatus, and which is rich in butter fat so that it skimmed oil it is a posi tive loss from the treated milk.

The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for discharging the treated lluid. primarily designed to overcome these dismlvantages in the operation of eeutril'ugalizing. nachines, but quite generally applicable tosealing the discharge from one rceept lteie to another in any case Mlttlt a stutliug box orlike permanent inechanieal seal cannot be used or is for any vtason undesirable.

u .a-corda nee with the invention, the fluid passing from one receptacle to the other is ealed. against admission of or contact with air or other surrounding atmosphere, hr a sealing body of liquid through which lira lluid is discharged; and suitable expealients are adopted for the purpose of preventing the draining away ot the sealing liquid by the disehal'gfed lluid passing therethrough. In the specitie application of the imention to centrilugalizing machines, the t ti g howl carries a plurality of annular plates which revolve with the bowl and are so spaced apart as to form between them a narrow annular discharge throat, the mouth of which stands opposite and in close proximity to the receiving mouth of a like annular throat on a stationary receiving vessel. The lluid passes out of the revolving mouth of the bowl into the stationary mouth of the receiving vessel at such high velocity that it tends to draw air into the passing fluid and thus into the receiving chamber, thereby giving rise to the objectionable ett'ects above set forth. For the purpose of avoiding this drawing in of the surroumling \air, the mouth is surroumled by an annular 76 chamber or receptacle for a body of sealing liquid through which the tluid is discharged. ln order to prevent the drawing away of the sealing liquid'hy the discharged lluid passing therethrough, there may be employed, 80 in accordance with the present invention. a. pressure directed against the. draining ell eet and sutlicient to maintain a sealing body of liquid in the surrounding annular chamber or receptacle. The desired pressure may be attained either by reducing the pressure on that, surface of the sealing liquid which is exposed to the air. or by applying to some other portion oF the liquid seal a suitable back pre sure: or by a combination of these two ex'pedients. The most simple and the preferred method of accomplishing the desired result is to establish a pre sure above atmospheric in the receiving vessel, by means of a controlled outlet from that ves- 05 sel: and I have found that by properly adjusting the pressure in the receiving vessel, a portion of the liquid passing from the howl into the receiving vessel may be forced back into the annular chamber or receptacle surrounding the mouths and may thus form a liquid seal, which will effectually prevent the entrance of air, and yet, if the back pressure is not excessive, will cause no substantial leakage of the liquid.

Inasmuch as the annular chamber or r ceptaele fer the liquid seal is horizontally arranged, there will be a tendency due to 1 the action of gravity, for the liquid eonstil tuting the seal to flow away from the region V in which it should be maintained into the lower portion of the annular chamber or receptacle a d I have found that this tendency may e ectivel y be overcome by making proper use of the centrifugal force which is present. In the arrangement shown in the accompan ing drawings, the surrounding annular c amber or receptacle for the liquid seal is formed in the stationary receiving vessel, so that the discharge mouth of the bowl is at the greatest diameter of this surrounding chamber. In this case, the liquid constituting the seal, which lies between the rotatin throat of the bowl and the stationary wa ls of the surrounding chamber, will be urged by the centrifugal force toward the region of sealing and the leakage effectof gravity will to that extent be overcome.

urther precautions against Ieaka e may be taken by providing a series 0 annular shelves below the seal chamber. On the shelf next below the seal chamber the tendency of the centrifugal force would be to increase the leakage, and on the shelf below that the tendency would be to decrease the leakage,'

and so on. Under these circumstances, it;is possible to take advantage of the centrifugiil force on the several shelves to oppose t e force of gravity, by giving to the surfaces of the shelves sue a configuration that-the sealing liquid will be accelerated, in its rotary movement, in those intershelf spaces in which the leakage tendency of gravity is to draw the liquid toward the axis of revolution, and will be retarded in its rotary movement in those intershelf spaces in which the leaka e tendency of gravity is to draw the liquid away from the axis of rotation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in section and partly in elevation, the upper bod ortion and neck of a rotating centrifuga izing bowl, which may be of any approved form, together with the inclosing casing, a superposed filling receptacle, and a surrounding receiving vessel; Fig. 2 is a plan view from beneath of the cover plate F; and Fig. 3 is asection showing in plan one of the annular shelves.

The bowl A has a contracted neck, as is usual in milk separating centrifugals, and on the outside of the neck is formed a shelf B ior the reception of a packing ring C on which rests a member D forming one of a pair of annular rings,'the other one being the member U. These members are forced down on the packing ring by spacing ribs E (see Fig. 2) on theunder sideof an annular cover plate F having a screw threaded hub which engages with corresponding sc rew threads on the center tube G of the bowl. On the upper end of the casing H is screwed an annular member I. conslituting a portion of the receiving vessel and to guard against leakage at this joint, a packing ring J is intcrposed, as shown. The nitnihc" l an" an annular shelf l; which is inte ptm tween the shelves on the il!l)X!ll)-i)i'- I) Resting upon the outer rim of the mom and held thereto by the clamping ii is the filling receptacle M, the lower gneral portion of which is shaped to completithe configuration of the annular receiving chamber; and it will be IEINl'JiSt XHi, that this chamber, which is here shown of annuiar form, may be of a volute or any form that best suits the particular case. Leaks n from. the receiving chamber at the joint 7 o the member I and the rim of the w is guarded against by the interpositu the packing ring N. The member I and bottom of the vessel M are shaped, as to form a narrow annular mouth and th for the receiving vessel, which is (iii posite and in close proximity to t charge mouth of the bowl. The fill.

sel M has a discharge spout O entering ih n central tube of the centrifugal. For =31; purpose of controlling the pressure ,1 :m the receiving vessel, the discharge cm'iduit 1 is provided with a controlling valve 1 2 shown. It will be observed that wlwn th s construction is adopted the i'mzri'rw unlihi?! discharge throat of the centrifugal extends within an annular chamber, between the bot tom of the vessel M and the stationary sh li K, in which it revolves with small clearance, and beneath the shelf K a tortuous passage is formed by the shelf on the member D and the inwardly projecting shelf S on the outer casing of the centrifugal.

The operation of the device is as follows: The liquid to be treated supplied to the feed vessel M and from there oasses through tube 0 into the bowl A. litfir treatm nt, v

the liquid rises up in a thin layer inside the neck of the centrifugal and mini-Eng the narrow throat between the cover plain F and the upper shelf of the member 17 it is discharged at great elocity into the mouth and through the throat of the annular receiving vessel. The fluid thus passing into the receiving ve sel tends to draw in the surrounding air, but by manipulating the discharge valve R in the discharge conduit of the receiving vessel, or by discharging against a hydraulic head, or by other apprr ed means, a pressure is created in lhc receiving ves el which has the effect to cause part of the liquid to flow hack into the spa-2e between the throat of the bowl and the walls of the annular chamber in which that throat reolrcs. An increase of the back pressure will force the liquid back over the upper son face of the cm or plate F and also back over the upper surface of the shelf K on: u'cngh the underlying tortuous passages. sage of liquid back over the upper surtlue of the plate l would do no harm because it would run back into the heel; and leakage by the outflow of the liquid over the shelf K may be prevented by making use of the centrifugal force as above described. To this end the under surface of the throat of the bowl and the upper surface of the shelf K should have such a configuration as to accelerate the rotary movement of the liquid in the space between them. If the centrifugal force thus developed is not sufficient to overcome the back pressure and the effect of the weight of the liquid, some liquid will pass around the inner edge of the shelf K into the space between the lower surface of that shelf and the upper surface of the shelf on the member D; and the liquid may even pass around the outer end of that shelf into the space between the under surface thereof and the upper surface of the stationary shelf S. It will be observed that in the first of these 3 aces the centrifugal force is opposed to the force of gravity, in the second, it assists the gravit and in the third it is opposed. The tota opposing effect of the centrifugal force in these several s aces may be increased by so constructing t e shelves that the rotary movement of the liquid is accelerated in the first and third intershelf space,and is retarded in the intermediate intershclf space. To this end the configuration of the surfaces of the shelves should be such that the liquid tends to move with the rotating shelf and to slip over the stationary shelf in the upper space and the lower space, while it tends to slip over the moving shelf and remain with the fixed shelf in the intermediate space. This effect may be accomplished by providing projections such as the radial ribs T shown in Fig. 3, or ribs of any approved form, on the'appropriate surfaces, that is, on the rotating surfaces in those spaces where the liquid is to be accelerated and on the stationary surfaces in those spaces where the liquid is to be re larded. In practice,'I have found that it is sullicient to make the'surfaces of the stationary shelves quite smooth in the upper and lover spa es and to provide the pro ections on. the under surface of the shelf K for the purpose of retarding the li uid in the intermediate space; but obvious y further application may be made of these projections if desired, or the surfaces may be otherwise shaped to attain the described effect. Obviously, if for any reason it is desirable to use a high pressure in the receiving chamber the number of shelves in the seal may be increased to the extent needed to prevent leakage.

\Vhat I claim isz- 1. A ccntrifugalizing machine having a rotary vessel with an annular discharge mouth, a stationary receiving vessel having an annular recei ing mouth confronting the ann lar discharge mouth of the rotary vessel, and a receptacle for holding a liquid rotar vessel having an annular discharge mout a stationary receiving vessel having an annular receiving mouth confronting the annular discharge mouth of the rotary vcssel, a receptacle for holding a liquid seal at the region of passage of the discharge fluid from the discharge mouth of the receiving mouth, the receptacle being so arran ed with relation to the months that the disc arge fluid passes through the liquid constituting the seal, and means for maintaining a difference of pressure on two surfaces of the sealing liquid. in the receptacle suflicient to prevent the emptying of the receptacle by the discharge fluld passing through the liquid therein; substantially as descri ed.

3. A centrifugalizing machine having a rotary vessel with an annular discharge mouth, a stationary receiving vessel having an annular receiving mouth confronting the annular discharge month of the rotary vessel, a receptacle for holding a liquid seal at the region of passage of the discharge fluid from the discharge mouth to the ceivin mouth, the receptacle being so arran e with relation to the mouths that the disc arge fluid passes through the liquid constituting the seal, and means for maintaining a sufficient ressure in the receiving vessel to prevent tie emptyin of the receptacle by the discharge lfilld passing through the liquid therein; substantially as descri ed.

4. A centrifugalizing machine having a rotary vessel with an annular discharge mouth, a stationary receiving vessel having an annular receiving mouth confronting the annular discharge mouth of the rotary vessel, a receptacle for holding a liquid seal at the region of passage of the disc-ha fluid from the discharge mouth to the receiving mouth, the receptacle being so arran ed with relation to the months that the disc llarge fluid passes throuyh the liquid constituting the seal, a disc large conduit from the receiving vessel, and a valve in the discharge conduit adapted to restrict the flow therethrough and thereby maintain in the receiving vessel sufficient pressure to prevent the emptying of the seal receptacle by the discharge fluid passing through the liquid therein; substantially as described.

5. A centrifugalizing machine having a narrow annular discharge mouth, a receiving vcsscl having a narrow annular receiving mouth in close proximity to the discharge mo'uth of the rotary vessel, and annular overlapping shelves supported alternately from the receiving vessel and from the rotary vessel and constituting a receptacle for a liquid seal through which the discharge takes place; substantially as described.

6. A centrifugalizing machine having a narrow annular discharge mouth, a receiving vessel havin avnarrow annular receiving mouth in c ose proximity to the discharge mouth of the rotary vessel, and annular overlapping shelves supported alternately from the receiving vessel and from the rotary vessel and constituting a receptacle for a liquid seal through which the discharge takes place, a discharge conduit leading from the receiving vessel, and a controlling valve in said conduit adapted to maintain in the receiving vessel. suflicient pressure to prevent the draining away of the liquid seal by the discharge fluid passing therethrough; substantially as described.

7.;A centrifugalizing machine having a rotary vessel with an inclosing casing, an- 25 shelves on the rotary vessel, and a filling vessel supported on said member and completing the contour of the receiving vessel, the said member and the said filling vessel being shaped to afford a narrow annular receiving mouth confronting the mouth of the rotary vessel; substantiallyas' described.

In testimon whereof I affix my signature, in presence 0 two witnesses.

SELDEN H.- HALL. Witnesses:

W. A. HUBBARD, S. B. ROCKEFELLEB. 

